Reaching Out
by creater1496
Summary: Arendelle has Thawed, and the ship which the characters were standing on is on its short way back to land to deposit the sisters, Kristoff, Sven, Olaf, and Hans. Continuing! Rated T for some dark stuff! [NOT ELSANNA, just sisterly love!]
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note: This is my very first fan fiction ever, and I happen to thrive on criticism of all kind, so please leave a review :)**

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The Kingdom of Arendelle had been thawed, but that didn't mean tensions were not continually icy. Everyone was pleased to see that the Snow Queen figured out a way to Thaw the Winter of her own creation, and yet whispers could still be heard in terse snippets, eyes still darted in every direction, searching for the source of the awful winter, Queen Elsa. The Queen had not yet returned, though she was obviously found, since the soil was once again visible.

Elsa stared at her sister. She was chatting away with Kristoff about why she wouldn't allow him to take care of Hans for her: something about just because she was a Princess didn't mean she couldn't take care of herself. She had tried to engage Elsa in conversation, but the attempt was short-lived and awkward. It ended, not too abruptly, with Elsa telling Anna that they could talk later, that she was tired right now. The truth was, Anna looked much more tired. Dark circles had begun to form underneath her eyes at quite an alarming speed, and she had long since sat down at one of the benches on the ship.

"Hey, uh-"

Elsa spun around, eyes big and hand outstretched - for what reason, she was unsure - and caught the eyes of the overly-bundled man she had seen with her sister. He started at her sudden movement, and stumbled over an apology until Elsa held a hand up with a soft smile gracing her face.

"No, no, you only startled me," she assured him, "what is it?"

Her voice was soft and melodious, and Kristoff couldn't help but wonder how she was related to Anna, bursting with sound and words as she was. He smiled thinking of how vocal she had been just since he had met her, such a short while ago.

He blinked a few times, bringing himself back to his present situation.

"Oh, um, yeah," he started ungraciously, "I have to help with Sven for a minute: his coat is soaked and he keeps running back and forth across the deck, and anyway, Anna said she doesn't want to sit there alone, and that she doesn't really think you're too tired to speak with her.." he trailed off, wondering if that last part would really be something Anna would want Elsa to know she'd said.

But Elsa just let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, a grin on her face.

"Of course, I never should have tricked myself into believing Anna would ever really listen to me," she said distractedly. Before she went to Anna, however, she sighed. "Thank you, Kristoff," she said, meeting his eyes fully and attempting to keep her hands folded in front of her, rather than wring them near her chest, as she so often did when she was nervous. Kristoff raised his eyebrows in surprise but smiled a sloppy smile anyway, "For everything," Elsa continued before Kristoff could say anything in return. "It was very good of you to take care of my sister like that, and I truly do appreciate it- no, I'm eternally grateful for it, and I will never quite be able to repay you." she looked down, a small breath escaping her, not quite a sigh though, and moved swiftly passed a slightly stunned Kristoff, to the bench where Anna was leaning on her right hand, a blanket covering her legs as they stretched beneath her across the bench.

She had been watching her sister intently, but as they made eye contact, she hurriedly looked out to the water behind them, trying to look distracted. She didn't move, even as Elsa sat down at the end of the bench near her hand.

Elsa struggled for a moment, a bit lost as to how to start a conversation after all that had happened. The only thing she could really think of was-

"You look tired."

Anna jumped, a little late, and sat all the way up, turning to look at Elsa with a slightly-less-than-startled expression.

"Elsa!" she said, her tone a bit too dramatic, "You scared me!"

Elsa smiled at her sister and gave her a knowing look, which caused Anna to look sheepish, but only for a moment because then her whole face lit up.

"Wow, Elsa, I mean- I said it before but- wow. You really look different!" She had raised a hand to touch her sister's hair and, upon seeing Elsa tense up despite her best efforts, dropped it again, the smile still glued to her face. She continued as if nothing had happened.

"I mean, not just since the- well, ya know,- but since we were kids."

The confession confused Elsa, and she looked at her sister with full attention.

"I haven't really gotten a chance to see you, to really _see_ you since I was five.." Anna trailed off, seeing Elsa tighten her hands in a neat little knot in her lap. She tried again; Anna raised a hand to touch Elsa's face, this time ignoring the rigid spell that washed over her sister, and brushed her knuckles across the side of her face, up to her hair.

"It's okay, Elsa," Anna murmured, speaking as if Elsa were an injured animal, sure to take off as soon as they broke eye contact.

"So do you," Elsa started, trying to avoid such dark topics for now, while things were still so new. "Your hair has always been beautiful, Anna," she told her little sister, earning a small smile. "And the rest of you has certainly grown up just as beautifully." She hesitantly raised a hand, placing it over Anna's, which was still held gently to her face, and giving it a gentle squeeze. Suddenly, a concerned frown washed over her features. "Anna, you really look tired," she stated again, rubbing the knuckle of her forefinger under one of Anna's eyes. Her face had paled since Elsa had last glanced at her, and her eyes had a milky sheen to them, fogged with fatigue. Her hand was now limply resign against ELsa's knee, and she had a sleepy smile spread across her face.

""M fine, Elsa," Anna mumbled sleepily, struggling to sit up straighter. "Don't worry 'bout me so much."

Elsa's frown only deepened as she stroked the side of her sister's face with the backs of her fingers, trying to get used to the contact. However, her worry sent a slight chill through the air, and as Anna shivered, Elsa pulled her hand back with a gentle smile.

"How do you feel?" she asked as Anna fought to keep her eyes open.

Anna started slightly, and sat forward.

"I feel fine, really, I'm not actually that tired, ya know, considering all that's happened today, and I don't feel exactly _bad_ otherwise, just a bit like I might be dreaming, ya know, like when you have a dream and you can't seem to get to your destination ever, and so you just keep walking and walking, but you don't really mind cuz you feel like you could just walk forever, and-"

Elsa couldn't help herself any longer and she laughed at her sister's inane babbling.

"Yeah, I think you'll be okay," Elsa said warmly. The cold draft went with her worry and she cupped her sister's chin in her palm, luxuriating in the simplicity of being able to be so close to Anna in so long.

Only because of my mistake. No. She would not let herself go that way, not right now, not with Anna looking so happy.

Suddenly, Anna threw her arms around Elsa, feeling the older girl stiffen abruptly but not caring too much.

"Oh, ELsa," she breathed shakily, "I never thought we would ever be able to be like this again," she admitted, releasing her sister, but scooting closer to her to lay her head on her shoulder. "I mean- after what you said at the Coronation, ya know, about how it just can't be this way ever, I -"

"_Anna_," Elsa said firmly, causing the younger girl to look up into her sister's eyes, which were flaming crystals. "I only ever said such things to _protect_ you, Anna," Elsa said, placing a hand on either side of Anna's face. "And I promise- I _vow_, that I will never shut you out again. My door is always open to you Anna." And with that, the redhead let out a constricted sob, wrapping her arms around her sister again.

"I love you, Elsa," she choked out.

"Anna, I love you more than you can ever realize," Elsa murmured into her sister's hair, returning her hug with confidence, the love pouring out of her being enough of a comfort that she didn't ever expect to need her gloves again.

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**So, alright. Please leave a review! Please! Even if you hated it! If you want, I will continue this story, and turn it into quite a few chapters. Thanks so so so much for reading! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

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"Aaaanna," Elsa murmured gently, nudging her sister's shoulder. "Anna, come on, land is just ahead of us," she said softly.

Anna had fallen asleep quickly, and had to be woken just as quickly. Kristoff became defensive at Elsa's first attempt to wake her sister, but she insisted that it would not do to have Anna carried into Arendelle just when all of its inhabitants had learned that she hadn't killed her sister after all. Kristoff begrudgingly agreed, but let out a small groan every time Elsa's attempts proved fruitless.

"Gah, see? She's exhausted, Elsa, just let her sleep," he begged once more, concern touching his brow as he looked uneasily upon his odd companion.

Both Elsa and Kristoff let out sharp breaths of air as Anna's eyelids flicked and she gave a soft groan, her lips parting slightly as she attempted to raise herself up. Elsa helped her into a sitting position and Anna rubbed her face sleepily, letting out a huge yawn and opening tired eyes to see first Elsa, her face a smooth petal filled with light amusement, and behind her stood Kristoff, smiling hugely, relief radiating off of him in waves.

"Did I fall asleep?" Anna asked, confused. She was met with light laughter, and she sat up straighter, feeling suddenly belittled.

"I'm afraid you've been asleep for the whole process of the ship floating fifteen minutes to land; you fell asleep right before we set out." Elsa told her softy, glad to see that at least the circles under her eyes had lightened.

Anna's eyes grew slightly. "Wh- Bu- But I…" she trailed off, sounding disappointed, almost frantic.

"What is it, sweetie?" Elsa asked, worry settling on her shoulders once again, as she rubbed her sister's back, trying to wake her up more fully.

"I really wanted to talk to you, Elsa, but we barely got two minutes and then I fell asleep!" Anna groaned, clearly exasperated with herself.

Elsa, however, just got more worried.

"What are you talking about, Anna? We have all the time in the world to talk," she reminded her, trying to get her to stand up.

Anna simply slumped back down, looking for all the world like a two-year-old about to cry; her face was scrunched up and red with tiredness, her small frame shaking slightly with bottled-up feeling.

"No, Elsa, we don't," she began, "What if you go back in your room again? You won't ever come out! Please, Elsa, just wait with me awhile longer, I- I don't want to go home. Please?" Anna implored, looking up sadly at her sister, one tear already rolling down her reddened cheeks.

Elsa nearly lost it- nearly grabbed her sister up and clutched her in her arms, sobbing, assuring Anna that she would never leave her… But in Anna's overly-exhausted state, she knew that might just upset her even further.

"Anna," she crooned, "Everything's alright..."

Kristoff could only stare. He had never heard Elsa speak so gently before, like she might destroy the secret to happiness if she spoke in any manner harsher.

"I won't leave, Anna, i promise, I'm right here.. Shh.. It's alright," she continued, until Anna's shaking slowed and she settled into her sister's side.

"Don't leave me," Anna said weakly, struggling for an upright position, remembering that Elsa and Kristoff had woken her for a reason.

"I won't, sweetheart, I promise," Elsa said in that bubble-soft voice again, supporting her sister by her right arm with both of her hands. Anna leaned heavily into Elsa, eyes closing frequently until she jerked herself awake each time, always making sure Elsa was there with her.

Kristoff supported her other side, and by the time they were twenty feet inland, they were practically carrying Anna.

A carriage arrived to bring them the next half a mile to the castle, and Kristoff lifted Anna in easily, letting Elsa get in next. He hesitated.

"Um," he started, thinking of the reindeer he had in the ship still, of the home he had with the trolls, and most of all, of the small shape huddled by Elsa.

The Queen realized the reason for his delay at once.

"Oh, yes," she started, a bit flustered; she hadn't realized just how tired _she_ was, too. "You are- Well, I mean, of course you're welcome to stay as long as you like," Elsa started, feeling completely inadequate speaking with the reason she and her sister were still alive.

But Kristoff just let out a big breath.

"Great," he enthused, "I really would appreciate it- I mean, Sven's still freaked out from falling in the water, and we're both tired, and-"

"More than welcome." Elsa stated firmly. "As long as you want. You'll always be welcome here." she finished, stroking her sister's forehead and watching her closely as she took deep steady breaths, already deep in sleep.

Kristoff smiled and shut the carriage door, walking back to get Sven from the makeshift stable he had prepared for him.

* * *

In the carriage, Elsa was falling.

Hans stood above her, sword held high. Even Elsa could tell that, and she was turned away, head in her hands. Elsa looked around frantically- where was Anna?! She was just there- in her arms- asleep! Where was she?!

She heard dark laughter float from behind her and finally turned to see the metal glinting at her. wielded by the man she now knew was her sister's tormenter.

"She's dead because of you!" he yelled out, laughing even louder, his laughter turning high-pitched, crazy, uncontrolled- his image split and the Duke of Weselton's goons tore from the sides of Han's form. Elsa gasped- in the thicker one's arms hung Anna, limp across his outstretched forearms, his hands curled like claws against her soft shape.

Elsa let out a sound which can only be described as an animalistic roar, seeing her sister in danger the only incentive for her to keep going. She ran towards him, and yanked Anna easily out of his arms. Clutching her sister close, she looked around for any further intrusion, but found only smoke where the three traitors had been. Elsa sighed, collapsing to her knees as she looked at her baby sister in her arms-

and screamed. Anna was frozen solid, her eyes opened in fear, the rest of her limp in Elsa's arms.

_No. No, no, no, no NO! _Elsa thought, not able to form coherent words. No, if only she hadn't interfered, if only she had let Kristoff take her… No!

Suddenly, she heard her name being called from far away, and saw a faint silhouette approaching.

_Good,_ she thought, _maybe it will be Kristoff and he will be so angry with me that he'll kill me._ She prayed for death.

"Elsa!" she heard, closer, now, and felt herself be pushed- which caused her sister to tumble from her arms. Elsa reacted quickly, but not fast enough; Anna was shattered.

"NOOOO!" the denial ripped its way out of Elsa's throat, tearing vocal chords along the way, and she thought she could see the figure running towards her, even behind her eyelids; it was definitely a feminine shape.

"Elsa! Please!" the voice screamed again, and Elsa noticed the voice was agonized, crying, and she was pushed over once again, this time landing froward on her hands and knees. Wait, what? There was no sign of her broken sister, and Elsa's sobs abated some, became oddly quiet in her panicky search for her sister.

"Anna?!" she called frantically, "ANNA?!" she spread her hands out on the ice, searching for pieces of her sister to bury, to give to Kristoff to bury while she buried herself, and suddenly, the ice cracked, broke- and Elsa fell in. Gasping, she swallowed water, and couldn't breathe, was inhaling the water. _Good…._ she thought again, _My sister has been avenged.._

"ELSA! PLEASE! JUST WAKE UP! She heard torn from a scratchy throat. She slowly opened her eyes to see her sister in the water with her, banging her fists on the impossible ice, beating them bloody as she tried to escape.

"ANNA!" Elsa tried to scream, but her mouth just filled with water- with her sister's blood- and

Elsa screamed and broke through the surface, coughing harshly, and pushing at the figure directly above her. The coughing fit lasted a good five minutes, and she was presented with water from shaking hands.

"Here, drink this," she was instructed by a terrified voice, shaking and raw with tears.

Elsa took the cup of water in violently shaking hands, spilling some before it reached her mouth, and when she tried to drink from it, there was only one swallow; Elsa rubbed her eyes open with her forearm and looked inside the cup- its contents were frozen. She coughed a few more times and breathed heavily, her body trembling violently.

She felt someone rubbing her back roughly but with tenderness also, and looked to her left to see a tear-streaked Anna, her lower lip trembling and her eyes wide with worry and- was that.. _fear?_

"Oh!" Elsa huffed, trying to scoot away from Anna; Anna should never be afraid, and if she was the one making her afraid she would do everything to put herself as far away as possible. Instead, Anna's arms wrapped tightly around Elsa's shaking figure.

"Anna-" she tried to choke out, quickly realizing her voice was no more than a croak, "N-n-n-no, y-you're af-f-fraid of m-m-me," she chattered out, her throat growing persistently more raw as she continued. Anna simply held her tighter.

When Elsa's shaking finally slowed, Anna went back to just rubbing her back as Elsa looked around, horrified at what she saw- she had frozen the whole room; ice, a handspan thick coated the walls and the floor, and the window had shattered it had frozen over so completely, and her bed was ice, as was all of her furniture. She dared a look at Anna and almost regretted it: the girl was almost blue, shivering harshly in just her nightgown, and her eyes were still so scared.

A whimper escaped Elsa's throat and she covered her mouth with her hand. Anna tried to embrace her again, but Elsa pushed her hand away, trying her best to get out a sentence conveying her worry over the cold against Anna's skin, to no avail. She just sobbed brokenly until her breathing calmed down.

"Anna, you really shouldn't be here," Elsa told her, ice creeping along the backs of her hands as her emotions were finally at a level that emitted such a reaction.

Anna shook her head quickly. "No way, Elsa, there's no way I'm letting you go through this alone," her voice was hardly better than Elsa's, scraped raw from screaming, from trying to get her sister to wake up.

"Anna, no," Elsa started again, her voice calmer, more steady, "really, please, just give me a minute to calm down-"

"Look around you, Elsa. The worst has already passed."

Elsa couldn't really argue with that: the window was broken, and that had _never_ happened.

"Let's at least go in your room, Anna, and get you out of this cold," she reasoned, wishing she could warm Anna's freezing skin.

"Okay," Anna succumbed, "let's go," she held an arm out to Elsa, and Elsa gripped onto it with a grateful smile which turned into a grimace when her sister wasn't looking.

They finally reached Anna's room, and walked right through the open door. Anna settled a still-shaking Elsa onto the bed and went in search of some big blankets. Returning with several a few moments later, she laid them horizontally across hers and Elsa's legs. She noticed that Elsa's face was blank and her eyes far away. She didn't dare touch Elsa right now- the girl would surely flinch -so she simply asked,

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

Elsa inhaled sharply, her frame stiffening.

"No," she said quietly, shaking her head and seeming like she was searching her hands folded in her lap for all the answers in the universe.

Anna nodded silently, and just tugged on her sister's shoulder, urging her to lay down, she finally succeeded after a few tries, and Elsa curled up on her side, watching her sister watching her.

"I'm so sorry, Anna," she said in a brittle voice, closing her eyes against the images she kept seeing over and over again as she absorbed her sister's features. At least she wasn't blue anymore, though she still shivered a little.

Anna put her hand slowly through Elsa's bangs, careful not to startle the girl.

"The storm.." Anna began. Elsa shut her eyes; there had been a storm? And Anna had seen it, had _been there_?! Anna saw the panic bubble up in her sister and hurriedly finished, "It went.. _around_ me."

Elsa's head snapped up in surprise.

"It…what..?" she asked in a whisper, afraid to puncture this moment.

"I mean, sure I was cold," Anna began babbling, seeing her sister's apparent interest, "I mean, you _did _freeze your whole room, and being around ice makes anyone cold- well, I guess not you- because, well, you know…" Silence filled the room for several minutes until Anna continued. "But nothing… _hit_ me or anything. I mean, _nothing_. Not one snowflake. There was a blizzard and everything, and you were screaming so loud that I actually didn't notice at first but… It _avoided _me. Like, it _knew_, Elsa," she finished in a hushed whisper.

Elsa took all this in, absorbing this new information. _How?_ she thought._ It just…knew?_ She released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, the air shuddering out of her lungs in shaky gasps as tears poured down her face in thankful gallons. Anna held Elsa tight, telling her over and over again that it never touched her, that it knew.

And Elsa finally let herself hope enough to sleep.

* * *

Anna stayed up for an hour or so more, just watching her sister sleep. Elsa's face was serene, save for the pucker between her eyebrows where her stress lay. Anna rubbed her thumb over the stubborn line, smoothing it out with some difficulty. She left her hand on Elsa's face and the sleeping girl relaxed further, her face softening. _At least while she was asleep she trusted herself,_ Anna thought. She reached under a blanket and four ELsa's hand, gripping it in hers, twining their fingers together.

"I knew you would always protect me, Elsa," she whispered, content that her sister was sound asleep, that there would be no more screaming tonight, no more blizzards, no more Elsa thrashing terrifyingly on the bed, screaming Anna's name and Anna struggling to get through to her for what seemed like hours...

For now, there was only this.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author Note: Hey guys! Thanks for all who reviewed, and for all who are following! I love you guys so much! Haha, needless to say, I adore writing this! I'll probably update every day, if not, then at least every week, and I want to start another one soon! Anyway, Enjoy! And leave a review if possible! Any bad things to say about it? Say it!**

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Chapter 3

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Elsa opened her eyes slowly, taking a deep breath. She frowned slightly, opening her eyes wider, and gasped; Anna was sleeping soundly beside her, one hand tucked beneath her head and the other under the blankets. Elsa scooted back quickly, her breaths coming faster, and was somehow tugged back towards her sister. She noticed that her hand was caught under the blankets, and after a moment of searching found that it was Anna's hand that secured hers so tightly, her fingers tangled together with her sister's. Her face softened as she remembered that Anna knew about her now, that it was okay now, and she sighed, pushing her fingers through Anna's tangled hair. The only response her baby sister gave was a small groan and a separate sigh of her own. Elsa smiled warmly, and attempted to loose her fingers from Anna's grasp, pushing the fingers from hers with gentle caution. Anna brought the freed arm up next to her face, and stretched, only to nestle back into the warm covers, perfectly content. Elsa gave a small chuckle, and covered her sister with the remaining blankets as she removed them from around her frame. She stood up and padded silently across the floor, slipping out the open door and giving her sleeping sister one last glance before returning to her own room.

She crept down the hallway and pushed her heavy door open, then froze. Her room looked absolutely horrendous; leaves had blown in through the broken window, and everything was completely soaked since the ice had melted- she must've melted it as she slept, for ice that thick shouldn't melt so swiftly. She sighed resignedly and leaned against the doorjamb, shutting her eyes and rubbing her temples.

"Oh, Your Majesty," Elsa heard the surprised, yet relieved voice from behind her. She spun in a half circle to find Kai approaching Anna's door with a hand half raised to knock. "I was just coming to wake you- I tried earlier, but found it difficult considering the state of your room, and-"

"Kai." Elsa greeted, stopping his stammered apology. "It's fine, I can just have a new mattress purchased, and a new carpet put in, I suppose…" she trailed off, looking from Kai's still-raised hand to Anna's door. "Must you also wake Princess Anna?" she asked, hoping she could convince him to let her sleep.

"Oh, um, no Your Majesty," Kai said awkwardly, placing his hand at his side and smiling at her warmly. "I am glad you are back, Queen Elsa. And that you two are safe." Kai had practically taken care of the girls after their parents had passed, along with Gerda.

Elsa smiled back. "Thank you Kai," she said with feeling, "I really do appreciate your concern." Her smile dropped and the tension returned to her posture as she once again became the Queen, and not just Anna's sister. "Kai, I need a report of all that has happened in the three days my sister and I were gone."

"Of course, Your Majesty, if you'll follow me." Kai said, also straightening and becoming more detached, a habit that all the servants had formed from being around Elsa, though the only two really allowed near Elsa were Gerda and Kai, the only two who knew of the oddity of the girl's… abilities, as the King had put it. The other few servants allowed to work in the castle were oblivious until this latest development at the Coronation, and they all now understood Gerda and Kai's closeness to the girl, why only they had keys to her room, and why they really never saw her.

"Most of the guests who attended your Coronation remained in the castle until last night, and the last two left this morning," Kai began in a businesslike manner.

"Wait," she stopped him, "I have a quick question first." Kai raised his eyebrows slightly, signaling for her to continue; she had lost some of the Queenly edge to her voice, and was speaking to him at almost a normal level now.

"Did you… hear… anything last night?" she forced out, intending for this to lead to another question that had been nagging at her all night. Kai stopped in his tracks.

"Your Majesty, I didn't-"

"It's okay if you did," Elsa assured quickly, seeing the worry on his face.

"Well, yes, of course I am to be stationed at the end of this hallway, and the commotion was quite loud- but I couldn't enter your room." Elsa remained silent, so he elaborated, "There was a blizzard, Your Majesty, and, as I realized you were mostly physically safe, you screamed, and shortly after, Princess Anna burst from her room, and nearly slipped on the ice at your door." Kai stopped a moment, a strange look of… confusion? Awe? coming over his face as he continued, "And as the Princess hesitated to enter, you screamed again- an agonizing sound, Your Majesty, you screamed "no", and Princess Anna gasped and ran straight into the blizzard. I had grabbed her arm, but I think she did not realize I was there. She ran right over to your bed, and the storm seemed not to affect her…" Elsa relaxed a bit, glad to have this confirmed, and listened even more intently. "She began screaming for you to wake up, and that's when I realized you were having a nightmare," he looked at her apologetically, "and I returned to my station, watching your door to be sure you were safe. Quite a few minutes later- perhaps half an hour- the two of you were on your way to Princess Anna's room."

"Thank you, Kai," the Queen said somewhat distractedly, "And, who escorted us to our rooms?" this was the real question, "I don't exactly-"

"Yes, Your Majesty, both you and the Princess were asleep by the time the carriage arrived at the castle. I carried you inside, and the Ice Harvester carried Princess Anna, and I wasn't sure if you were ready to move back into your old room, so I took you to your room, against the Ice Harvester's wishes."

"Kristoff," Elsa murmured distractedly. At Kai's questioning hum, she said, "The Ice Harvester, his name is Kristoff, and she saved both me and my sister," she continued, her voice becoming more and more severe. "I do hope you realize this, and did not send him away-"

"Of course, Your Majesty, he was given a guest room which had just been emptied that day, and his, ah, reindeer was placed in a clean stable."

"Thank you, Kai, you may continue the report," she stated brusquely, and Kai turned, continuing his walk.

"Yes, you know that you successfully thawed the winter, Queen Elsa, and nobody was injured. The Duke of Weselton is talking of perhaps going to court with possible neck injuries, but-"

"No, he isn't hurt. And I wish to cut them off as soon as possible; I will _not_ continue any relations with traitors."

"And Prince Hans is awaiting his sentence in a cell downstairs," Kai finished, pretending not to notice when Elsa stiffened at the sound of his name.

"There will be no sentence." she stated numbly. "I simply want him out of Arendelle. Forever. And- and I want him stripped of his Princely title. And I want his whole country to know what he's done," she finished dangerously, ice frosting along her knuckles and trailing behind her as she walked.

"At any rate, such a sentence must be given by the Queen in the Royal Court, and soon," Kai stated gently, not wanting to upset her. "And I think you should actually freshen up first," he said, turning with a small smile as Elsa put a hand to her tangled hair.

"Oh, right," she sighed, the frost already melting at her feet. Kai bowed. "Your Majesty," he said, and turned, walking down the stairs, leaving Elsa with a slight headache and a lot to do. She knew she would have to soon make an announcement to her country, about her powers, about how she was sorry she had to leave, about how she would make it up to them- she leaned against the wall a moment to catch her breath. Then she straightened her shoulders and walked to her room to find a presentable dress.

* * *

After finding a slightly less damp dress, Elsa decided what exactly Hans' sentence should be. He deserved something awful, but for some reason, she didn't want him dead- that somehow felt too plush a punishment, not enough.

"I hereby sentence Prince Hans of the Southern Isles," she began, making a split decision as she sat before hundreds of people in the Royal Court, some from the Southern Isles themselves, and some just from Arendelle, "to exile from his own country, as well as this one." People gasped, and a few stood, ready to argue, but she spoke over the clamor, her voice ringing with regal authority. "And he is to be stripped of his Princely title. He shall receive no further contact with anyone from his own country, and is not to be allowed near any Royal Family, for their own safety."

"No," someone spoke up in a firm voice, "You have no right to say what another Kingdom can and cannot do!"

Elsa fixed him with an icy stare, but found she had no argument.

"Very well," she amended, a bit embarrassed of her rash decision, "Then take it merely as a strong suggestion. Prince Hans of the Southern Isles is to be exiled form Arendelle, as well as stripped of his Princely title for treason against the Crown as well as the Princess, and for attempting to take over under false pretenses." she glanced at him once, a slight snarl marring her perfect features, and watched as he was led away by his fellow countrymen.

"Now, on to other matters; Weselton," she began, fearing the paperwork she was now bound to be buried in.

* * *

After completing nearly three hours of paperwork, severing her relationship with Weselton and securing other relationships through apologetic letters, Elsa began to plan a speech to her people. She couldn't seem to get passed even a simple greeting; how was she to face these people, the people that had to trust her as their leader, the people that she had betrayed?

She sighed and leaned her head against the back of her chair, closing her eyes in thought for a moment. And suddenly, she knew.

* * *

Before arranging for a meeting in the courtyard, Elsa decided to stop by Anna's room, to see if she was awake yet; she hadn't seen her at all today. As she got to her door, she hesitated. Would Anna really want to see her right now? What if her kindness yesterday was only a side-effect of her exhaustion? Or what if she was actually upset with Elsa for waking her in the middle of the night with her incessant screaming?

_No,_ she told herself, _Anna loves me. Anna is my sister, and even though we haven't seen much of each other, this is our chance. Why wouldn't she want to see me?_

_Maybe because you almost killed her…_ a darker voice said in the back of her mind. Elsa winced slightly, but still walked into the still-open doorway. She smiled, her heart flooded with overwhelming love, the frost that had threatened to encase her hands at her previous anxiety now quickly retreating. Anna was sprawled out across her bed, face down, her right arm hanging over the edge of her mattress, snoring lightly. Elsa leaned against the doorjamb, her hands clasped in front of her, and sighed lovingly. She was secretly glad she didn't have to face a conscious Anna right now; she was still nervous from her meeting, from having to speak to people now, from being out of her room so much. It was a totally different experience, and she was half-afraid that Anna's exuberance would be a little much for her right now. Taking a deep breath, Elsa turned- running smack into Kristoff.

"Oh!" she huffed, stepping back and straightening her dress for no real reason; it was a habit she'd picked up from Gerda.

"Oh, um," Kristoff stumbled into a bow, "Your Majesty," he states woodenly, not used to such words on his tongue.

"Oh, um, no," Elsa starts, wanting to help him up, to assure him that such things were not necessary from a friend, from a savior, from a being higher than herself, but also not wanting to touch him, not wanting to bother him with her apologies but also needing to. "You- you don't need to do that," she finished lamely, looking down, her throat stuffed with apologies and thank-you's and-

"Wait, what are you doing here?" she says instead, surprising herself with the tone in her voice. Kristoff's eyes widen and he takes a step back.

"Oh- uh, yeah, I was- Anna looked- and I- But I just wanted…" he trailed off, attempting to cease the stammer and give her his answer. He cleared his throat. "Yes, um, I was just wanting to check up on Anna- oh, um I mean on Princess Anna, because she didn't look well when I brought her to her room last night," he finished, a deep blush rising up his neck at mentioning Anna and last night in the same sentence, and also since he remembered seeing Elsa asleep in the carriage also, and he quickly realized just how awkward the whole situation was, and was about to turn around when a cold hand wrapped loosely around his wrist.

"Kristoff, wait," Elsa said hesitantly, "Thank you," she blurted, and nearly just left when he smiled at her.

"Elsa, you're welcome," Kristoff assured her, a wide smile on his face. "I was glad to help, after Anna sorta forced me," he paused to laugh gently, and, catching the curiosity in Elsa's expression, quickly continues, "And I was much better prepared, what with being an Ice Harvester, and Anna- Princess Anna- was not so much, so I'm very glad she found me; she might have really ended up in trouble and I definitely would never want that," he finished in a more fierce tone than he had intended.

Elsa smiled, her heart warming again. "Then I am all the more grateful. You will be joining us for-" she looked out the window to see that lunchtime had already passed, "dinner, yes?" she asked hesitantly, wanting to show this man her full gratitude.

"Oh, uh, if you'll have me- I would really appreciate that."

They stood in awkward silence a moment before Elsa remembered why Kristoff was up here.

"Oh, and Anna is still sleeping. Of course, it's to be expected," she hurried on, seeing the concern in Kristoff's expression, "given the circumstances she has endured, what with-" she cut off abruptly, and looked down, her heart giving a painful squeeze at the memory of her sister's frozen body, frozen because of her, because she couldn't control it. She suddenly felt a hand touch her chin, just barely, and she was looking into Kristoff's earnest face.

"She loves you, Elsa," he began, his voice low but sure. "I know she's forgiven you; she's actually sure to say that there's nothing to be forgiven. You two apparently were never together as children, but Anna spoke of you as if you were always together, like she knew exactly every thought in your head. I'm sure she'll be happy just knowing you're out of your room."

Elsa sighed heavily, wiping a stray tear off her face, and sniffing in the most dignified way possible.

"Thank you, Kristoff, I appreciate that." she suddenly recalled what she was doing before her venture up here, and realized how late it was. "Oh, um, I have a speech to plan, and then I will arrange for dinner, and perhaps a ceremony tomorrow, so if Anna wakes up while I'm gone and you happen to see her, will you let her know where I am?"

"Won't Anna want to be there for the speech?" he asked, confused.

"Oh," Elsa hadn't thought of that. She sighed, and turned back towards her room, where Anna now lay curled up, the blankets pulled up tighter around her. Elsa closely inspected her sister's face; light circles still resided under her eyes, but they looked much better than before- in fact, if Elsa hadn't been looking for them, she wouldn't have noticed. Her face was full of color, and her breathing seemed normal- not in the deep sleep that plagued her on the ship. Her hair, on the other hand, was a wild mess of tangles, and Elsa smiled softly, laughing quietly, until she noticed- it was gone; the white streak that haunted her memories, that she had put there when they were children, it was just- gone. She gasped, and stepped closer to the sleeping girl, inspecting her hair more carefully, to find that it truly was gone. A weight Elsa hadn't even known was there lifted off her chest and she felt light enough to fly. She pressed her hand lightly to her sister's face.

"Anna," she called, "You might want to get up soon- I'm giving a speech momentarily, and if you wish to be there, you might want to get ready," Anna's only response was to crease her eyebrows together, confused, and mumble, "What speech?"

"Sort of an apology speech,"Elsa answered, wondering herself what exactly she would say at this gathering. Anna groaned. "Apology? For what?" she grumbled, cocooning herself further into her blankets.

Elsa rolled her eyes slightly, a grin on her lips. "Anna, do you want to come or not? I can wake you for dinner if you wish," she added, watching as her younger sister was quickly overtaken by sleep. Elsa laughed lightly and brushed a hand along the hair in Anna's face. "Sleep well," she murmured, stepping back and exiting the room. She was closing the door when she was met by Kristoff, who stood with an eyebrow raised.

"Well?" he asked, a bit of worry seeping into his voice.

"She's fine," Elsa answered, a tad defensively, "Just exhausted. I'm sure she'll want to be woken for dinner, and I'm sure she'll be upset knowing she's missed the speech, but-" she shrugged lightly and continued on her way to see Kai, to arrange a gathering in the courtyard for the speech.

* * *

"Citizens of Arendelle," Elsa began, "I-"

"Hereby decree, blah blah blah,"

Elsa spun around quickly, embarrassment forcing frost across the tops of her hands.

"Anna," she gasped, "how long have you been there? I mean, um, when did you get up?"

Anna laughed, covering her mouth with her hand and doubling over, then straightening quickly when she saw Elsa's expression. Her face was slightly pinched, premature crow's feet dusted lightly at the corners.

"Elsa?" she asked, concern tinting her voice, "Are you okay?"

"Of course," Elsa brushed off the question, not meeting Anna's eyes and wiping her frosty hands on her dress.

"Elsa-" she started, stepping into her room, then stopped, lingering outside the door and clearing her throat, looking down.  
Elsa's head snapped up and guilt forced the frost to spread over her dress as she quickly started to approach her sister, but then decided to hang back, unsure.

"Um," Elsa started, the same time Anna said, "Can I-," They both laughed softly, and Elsa said, "Come in, Anna, I told you my door is never locked to you again." she finished in a more serious tone, and Anna smiled and shrugged a little, trying to look indifferent as she stepped cautiously over the threshold to the room she'd been shut out of for thirteen years.

"So, what's wrong?" she asked, seeming distracted, trying to soak in every detail of the room, but dropping her shoulders in disappointment when she realized there wasn't really much to take in; the most interesting thing about the room was that it was soaked, and the door was open. There was a bed, far from the window, not quite centered, with a wardrobe next to the window, a mirror attached haphazardly, which Elsa was practicing in front of, a small desk in the farthest corner, and a simple chair to match. On the desk rested a thick pile of books, some spread open, paper and quill and ink resting nearby. And that was it. That was all Elsa had for thirteen years. A small sound escaped Anna at that thought and she tried to cover it by clearing her throat again. There were a thousand things she could say right now- _Thank you for letting me in, That's a first, How are you, Why is the room so empty-_

"It's so…_wet_ in here," she said instead, emitting a small giggle. "Jeez, I mean, how did that ice melt so fast-" she stopped abruptly when she noticed the ice quickly spreading down her sister's dress and onto the floor. "Oh," she said in a quiet voice.

Elsa looked down, confused, and gasped, then clenched her hands and swallowed audibly, staring at Anna in fierce concentration; the ice evaporated, and Elsa sighed heavily, pushing her fingers through her hair and going over to sit in the small wooden chair. She rested her elbows on the desk and put her face in her hands, rubbing at the persistent headache she couldn't seem to get rid of. She felt a hand on her back and flinched harshly away, gasping.

"S-sorry," Anna stuttered, pulling her hand back and wondering if she should leave after all, her face quickly reddening.

Elsa sighed. "Anna, _I_ am sorry," she began, turning in the chair and standing to face her sister. Anna winced slightly as she noticed just how tired Elsa looked, but didn't comment. "But you have to understand," she continued, struggling to explain herself without seeming like she was shutting Anna out again, "I've been holed up for thirteen years, touching nobody- absolutely no contact with anyone- so you can't just sneak up on me and-" she broke off, realizing how sharp her tone had become. She sighed agin, passing a hand through her hair. Then she walked up to her sister, who's face betrayed a shadow of hurt, and cradled her face in her hands.

"Anna, I love you. Please, just give me time to… adjust," she begged with a small smirk, and a questioning, raised eyebrow.

Anna closed her eyes and gripped Elsa's wrists, smiling, luxuriating in the love radiating through her body.

"I love you, too, Elsa. This is fine," she said happily, her hands sliding down to grip her sister's elbows, "Just forgive me if I startle you- if you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly as- reserved - as you are," she giggled, her eyes apologetically soft. Elsa relaxed notably, and the temperature warmed a few degrees; Anna hadn't noticed before, but the room had been icy.

"Thank you," Elsa said with feeling, "That means everything to me."

She released her sister's face with a small smile and faced the mirror again.

"I've just been thinking of what I'm going to tell Arendelle," she explained, finally, "And I've found that I have no idea how to give a speech."

Anna relaxed and stepped up right behind her sister, careful to keep a distance, but positioned so they could see each other's faces in the mirror. "You'll do fine, Elsa, you always do," she encouraged, "You're great with words! You might never know exactly what you're going to say before you say it, but when you do say it- it's always meaningful," she said, scrunching up her nose at how much more she wanted to say but couldn't put into words. But Elsa smiled anyway, a huge smile, her eyes alight with love.

"Thank you, Anna," she said, her voice rough with emotion.

"That's what sisters are for," she reminded her, smiling. Suddenly, Elsa started laughing. "What?" Anna asked, her face coloring once again. Elsa shook her head and pointed at the mirror.

"Your hair!" she laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. Anna scowled and tried to pat down the messy tangles when Elsa abruptly turned around, going to her desk once more, and opening a drawer.

She gestured for Anna to sit and she stammered, "Really? Cuz honestly, I can do my own hair and- oh, okay," she said as Elsa took her sister's hand and sat her down with a laugh.

"It'll get done faster this way, and the speech is in ten minutes," she said, hating when the temperature dropped again at the speech's mention. However, as she started to untangle her sister's hair, the temperature returned to normal. There was a comfortable silence as Elsa twisted her sister's hair into the fancy bun she had seen her wear at the Coronation in less than five minutes.

"Uh, thanks," she said with a giggle, freeing some of her bangs that Elsa had entrapped. She went to the mirror and smiled. "Perfect!" she announced, turning and heading for her room, "See you at the gathering, gotta find something to wear!" she explained to the confused expression on Elsa's face. She smiled as she watched her sister run out the door, her joy for life lingering in the room, brightening up the dampness of it.

* * *

**Woo, that was a long chapter! Alrighty, that's it for now! Give Elsa some time to prepare her speech and I'll be right back! :) Review? If not, I still love you!**


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